In a statement published on Thursday, the OGBL called the government's proposed reforms to the healthcare profession "unrealistic".
The union praised the development of a new bachelor's degree for healthcare workers, but warned against running two nursing degrees parallel to one another, as the government has opted not to abolish the BTS training programme. This represents a missed opportunity, according to the union, as students are more likely to choose the more affordable option, which could create several "classes" within the nursing profession.
Rather than upgrading the existing system and making the profession of specialised nursing more attractive to potential students, the union said this reform will fail to achieve these goals and instead devalue the very jobs it should be promoting. The proposed reform will equate the training of specialised nurses with general nursing care - a decision which the OGBL called "totally unacceptable".
The union demanded the reform project be put on hold and subjected to immediate revisions with social dialogue.
